Eripintoy
by Lauralou12579
Summary: A girl-not-quite-a-woman must set out on a quest to save her village from certain destruction. Magik, wild beasts, and romance all lead Brendisha towards finding the courage needed to save those she loves.
1. The Quoin

**A/N: This is something I had buried away in my room... in one of those boxes that has anything and everything from about 4th grade onward. I found it the other day and thought that it would be nice to edit and elaborate on. I have about 22 pages double spaced from 7th grade... below is just the first three (embellished) pages. Let me know what you think, and if you'd like to read more! Critiques (and compliments) welcome! **

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Brendisha grimaced. The markings in the sand, the long thin lines leading to deep cone-shaped holes, could only have been made by the Quoin. She reached out and brushed her fingers along the imprint: she must be close to a nest. Glancing up from the damp ground and the animal's claw print, Brendisha looked about. The sun had been long gone, and a bitter wind whipped through the trees without mercy. Straining to see through the dense forest with only the light of a waning moon as her guide, Brendisha shuddered. It wasn't the wind that bothered her, but the Quoin. She thought back to the ones that had been brought back after the men's hunting expeditions. They were nasty looking creatures, about three feet tall with bony wings and long spindly legs. As dangerous as the stickers on the animal's fingers were, the claws on its legs were even more so, with their poisonous tips. That's why they were so prized and feared in the village –the Quoin's natural defense became the defense of the people, ironically to be used against its creator.

Standing up slowly, Brendisha quickly ran her fingers over the curved sword attached to her right hip. It calmed her slightly, to know she had some form of protection besides her magic. She thought about casting a spell for light, but decided against it. _I'll be easier to spot that way_ she reminded herself. _This is a mission of secrecy after all… a mission that I never should have agreed to go on!_ For the millionth time, Brendisha chided herself about her rash actions. After all, it wasn't her responsibility to find Eripintoy. She was just a simple girl, not yet 18 summers, who was too quick in looking for adventure. But Brendisha had this odd feeling of obligation towards her village. _After all_ she reasoned _without the Blue Gem's magical powers, Yeri won't survive_... A soft clicking drew Brendisha out of her reverie. Drawing her sword, Brendisha barely noticed the moonlight glint off the polished metal. She crouched down slightly, and waited.

She knew it was the Quoin, but where it was, she could not tell. Quickly scanning the area with her eyes, Brendisha stayed low, looking for the slightest movement in the bushes and shrubs of the forest floor. Another clicking, and bushes next to Brendisha barely trembled. She turned, and raised her sword to chest level just as the Quoin leapt out of the bushes. It landed in front of her, growling and snarling, kicking its way towards her, baring its teeth. Brendisha wasted no time in taking a defensive stance. The animal bolted at her, slashing at the air; Brendisha stayed perfectly still, waiting for the exact moment the Quoin was upon her. With an upward stab, Brendisha skewered the animal, pulling her blade downwards in a curved motion. The quoin screamed and fell to the ground, clicking furiously, but not before kicking out and forming a long gash in Brendisha's leg. She began to back away, hoping the animal was dead.

A rustle in the trees above her caused Brendisha to look up _DANG!_ She thought to herself _I forgot about its MATE_. Dropping swiftly to the ground in front of her, the female Quoin looked little different from its male counterpart. It circled Brendisha slowly, eying her with a severe disdain. _Geez! You would think that there was a love between these wild things, the way she's looking at me. I'll have to look that up in my…_ Brendisha's thoughts were interrupted by the quoin bolting at her with a spark of rage. Not paying attention, Brendisha was hit by the animal's claw. Putting all of her strength towards an offensive maneuver, Brendisha crouched low and rolled out of the way as the Quoin leapt in another attack, stretching out her sword. The quoin dodged the weapon, and seemingly vanished. _What the…_ Somewhat scared, Brendisha knew this wasn't over. _Close your eyes… taste the wind… smell the blood_. Remembering the words of Yeri's magic master, Linna, Brendisha followed the voice in her head. She knew she had wounded the animal on the last attack. Now she just needed to find it and finish the job. Planting her feet solidly, the girl inhaled deeply, using the wind to feel out her enemy. Sensing it behind her, Brendisha spun about, stabbed, and twisted her sword with all of her might.

The quoin fell. With a final shriek, it flopped over to its mate and landed by its side, its head falling on the dead animal's chest. Brendisha stared, eyes wide, sweat pouring down her face. Now THIS was something you didn't see every day. Working quickly, Brendisha pulled her dagger from its sheath on her thigh and cut of the Quoin's claws. _Never a bad idea to have some extra protection_… she thought grimly. But she knew she had to get out of there. The quoin's last cry would alert every other creature nearby to her presence.

Momentarily ignoring the pain in her side, Brendisha ran swiftly through the forest. She allowed no thoughts to seep into her mind, except those that reminded her of the danger she was in. After what seemed like hours, Brendisha heard what sounded like water. Following the noise, the wounded girl happened upon a brook, running through a soft clearing, illuminated by moonlight.

She needed to rest, and to tend her wounds. She found a large tree near the stream and stumbled down against it. Peeling back her leather jerkin, Brendisha found a large, but thankfully shallow, cut stretching from her chest to her thigh. _That's gonna leave a mark…_ she grumbled, and winced at the pain. Realizing that she was still in danger, Brendisha thought it best she protect herself… without her sword. She didn't like where that had gotten her last time.

Closing her eyes, Brendisha fell into the familiar blue and purple stream of magic that swirled around her. Just being here warmed her, and the pain in her side eased a bit. Knowing she was in a hurry, Brendisha looked closely at the magic surrounding her. Focusing her energy, she was able to make out the marks that made up the revolving stream. She quickly plucked one, two, three, four marks out of the stream: one each for strength, shielding, secrecy, and protection. She felt the energy of the marks in her hand and thought of molding them together into one long thin strip of purple in her mind. She opened her eyes and cast the purple string out in front of her. The line stretched and thinned, creating a hazy purple and bluish curtain of magic around her. Brendisha couldn't help but smile a bit; Linna did say she had been the best at casting protection spells.

Moving slightly, a wave of pain washed over Brendisha, reminding her of her physical wounds. The cut burned intensely, and her side was already becoming numb. If she didn't treat it quickly, she knew that it would slowly paralyze her. Breathing deeply and trying to not to focus on the pain, Brendisha slid her satchel off and rummaged around inside it until she found the bewitched salve Mariel had given her. Unlacing the goat skin bag, Brendisha dipped her hand inside and gently spread the goo along the laceration in her side. Wincing, she applied a second layer, saying the appropriate incantations as instructed by the kindly potion maker. Brendisha closed her eyes and slowly waved her hand over the injury.

Normally, Brendisha was adverse to everything except a person's Natural Magik, that which was found within. But after agreeing to the task of obtaining Eripintoy, and an argument with Linna, she realized that she would need all the help she could get, and allowed herself to use Herb Magik, Element Magik, and even Homey Magik. She remembered the conversation with Linna.

"_You'll never get through this by yourself, dear"_ the ethereal woman had said _"who knows? This may just save your life…" _

"_But I can save my OWN life!" Brendisha retorted hotly. "I'm an amethyst after all!" _

"_Not quite, little one."She laughed, causing Brendisha to scowl deeper. "There are still flecks of sapphire in your magic. And amethyst is not the strongest you could be –you know that! Oh, I wish you hadn't volunteered to do this, Bren. You have so much more to learn…" _

"_But I did. And I can do it! I'm not a baby anymore Linna!" she pouted, causing Linna to laugh louder. "Fine" Brendisha huffed "I'll bring other magic… but don't expect me to use it!" Linna smiled knowingly. _

The cut stung as Brendisha finished the process. She could feel the poison being drawn out of her skin. Smiling at the memory of her mentor, she knew that this was not the first time she had caved in to using non-natural magik. But she felt weak when using it, and she swore never to use anything but natural magik again.

Crawling gingerly over to the stream, Brendisha splashed her face, reveling in its cool relief. She took several gulps of water before a feeling of overwhelming drowsiness overcame her. Moving back to her tree, she leaned against its bark, shifting uncomfortably for several minutes, shivering in the night air. Finally giving into the thoughts pestering her, Brendisha reached in her bag and pulled out a small trinket box. She opened it, and pulled out a small square of cloth. She grudgingly murmured a spell, and the fabric grew until it was the size of a blanket. _Blast Ma and her Homey Magik,_ she groused, although she had to admit, the blanket was very warm. _Ok_ she thought, before drifting off to sleep; _NOW I won't use anything but natural magik again…_

It was dawn.


	2. Botcha

Brendisha awoke with the sun high overhead. _It must be near noon_ she mused to herself, yawning slowly. _Have I wasted that much time?_ Looking about, Brendisha started to stretch, before she doubled over in pain. Wincing, Brendisha traced her fingers over the wound, and immediately felt nauseous. Waving her hand, she called back the curtain shield from around her, soaking up her magik. Another wave of nausea hit, and Brendisha scrambled away from her sleeping area to throw up the few contents of her stomach. The Quoin's poison had not completely worked, but it had affected her in a most unpleasant way.

Brushing her hair from her face, Brendisha made her way slowly to the brook. She sat at its edge and pulled the blade from her side. It was covered in dried blood. Shuddering at the memory of last night, Brendisha gingerly cleaned the sword, remembering her last talk with her father.

_"I'll be fine papa! I promise" Brendisha looked at her father closely, not wanting to ever forget his face. "I've worked really hard with Linna, and she says I'm ready. And if I don't do this, what's going to happen to Yeri? And" she choked back tears, "and Peyra? And all the others too?" Brendisha bit her lip, thinking about how ill her sister and several of the other people of the town were. 'Bad magik' people were whispering 'has tainted everything in Yeri…' Brendisha shuddered. "Only Eripintoy can help. And the elders have sent me to get it!" _

_She said this with so much conviction, that Aaryn could not help but smile. He had always known his daughter to be headstrong, and brave, but had hoped that she would never do anything to put her life in danger. _

_"I don't doubt you, Bren. Not a bit." Aaryn looked at his daughter staring at him from across the table and at his wife beside him. "Genna, I think its time". The woman nodded. _

_"Time?" Brendisha asked, puzzled "time for what?" _

_Aaryn sighed and wiped his hand over his face. "Do you remember Uncle Calor, Bren? Your mother's brother… he was a master swordsman?" _

_Brendisha nodded, wondering why this mattered. "He died when I was little, right?" _

_"Yes. He always called you his favorite niece, though he rarely saw you. Funny old codger he was… Anyways, before he died, he made your mother and I promise to give you a gift on your 18__th__ birthday. We agreed."_

_"And?" Brendisha looked anxiously at the man before her, trying to comprehend the situation. "Why are you giving it to me now?" _

_"And that's it. We didn't see him again until after his death. He said nothing except we were to give it to you… We're giving it to you now because it will be of use to you." Aaryn looked behind him at the sound of his wife's entrance. "Do you have it?" _

_"Of course dear" Genna teased "what, you thought I had lost it?" She smiled at her husband, and then her daughter. "Calor was my least favorite brother, which is why the gift was so odd…" her thought trailed off as she laid the wrapped parcel on the table. "Well? Open it." _

_Brendisha did as she was told, peeling back layers and layers of cloth, until she finally unearthed a dazzling sword. It glinted in the low light of the room, and seemed alive with energy. "Is it…? It seems…? This can't be…" Brendisha couldn't form a coherent thought. Thankfully, her mother understood her. _

_ "Yes, it is for you. Yes, it is expensive, and yes, it is made of silver. Any other questions?" Brendisha looked at her wide eyed. _

_"Just one. Why me?" Genna looked at her husband and nodded. _

_Aaryn took a deep breath. "We have no idea. But it is yours, Bren. Use it well."_

Brendisha's eyes filled with tears as she thought of the family she had left behind. She hoped that Peyra was feeling well… maybe the sun was shining in Yeri too. Lifting the sword out of the water, Brendisha stared at its beauty. The intricate curls on the hilt gave the weapon an aired of elegance. There, etched in the side, were the words "You must believe in yourself." Such good advice. Below it was a small circular indentation; a perfect place for her thumb to rest in its grip. The sunlight glinted off the blade and into the trees surrounding her. Looking about, Brendisha marveled at the beauty of the sunlight in the trees, how the light reflected off of the brook and caused everything to look just a little bit greener. Here in the daylight, Brendisha had little to be afraid of.

Tentatively touching her wound, Brendisha pulled her canteen from her bag and refilled it with the cool water. As much as she wanted to stop and let her feet soak for a while, she knew she had no time. She had been gone for 5 days, and had not even made it to Botcha. She knew she was close, but was not sure how much of a delay the Quoin had caused her. Her stomach growled. Reaching into her bag, Brendisha attempted to find something edible to eat. _Salve… herbs… clothing… ha!_ She triumphantly held up a stale roll, grinning in victory. She bit into it… and discovered it to be hard as a rock. _Completely inedible!_ She muttered, her stomach growling again. _Well, its only a few more hours to Botcha… hopefully… I'll be able to get some more food there._ With a final drink and a rinse of her face, Brendisha replaced all of her items in her bag and stood up, slinging it over her shoulder.

Closing her eyes, Brendisha quickly spotted a direction mark in her magik stream. She pulled it out and rested it in the palm of her hand. It spun around quickly, before pointing to Brendisha's left. "North it is" she said into the emptiness as the mark disappeared with a quite 'pop'. "Let's see herb magik do _that_."

Several hours (and wild berries) later, Brendisha arrived at the outskirts of Botcha. She could smell the magik before she saw it. Something was wrong. A thin haze of Elder Magik usually guarded the villages from night creatures, but it never smelled this… rank. Wrinkling her nose, Brendisha approached the border, and gasped at what she saw.

The haze was torn. Several holes and slash marks littered its protection, and an even greater stench fell off of the torn shield. _Only destructive magik could have done this… _Slipping easily through one of the holes, a terrible, unearthly stillness filled the area. While not a traveler's hub, Botcha was a larger village than that of Yeri. As she got closer to the center of town, she began to notice more and more destruction. Something was terribly wrong. Brendisha broke into a sprint and stopped at the edge of the main street.

The place was in ruins. Cottages were lying in shambles, stone buildings were reduced to rubble, and fences and trees littered the ground. Food and supplies were scattered everywhere, and animals were cowering in the destruction with looks of what can only be described as fear in their eyes. Brendisha immediately ran to the nearest home, and pulled away pieces of it, looking for injured people. "Hello?" She called loudly. "Can anyone hear me?" Feeling more and more frightened, Brendisha continued this ritual until she nearly collapsed from hunger. Hoping that whatever caused the mess didn't return, Brendisha searched for edible food, eventually finding a fairly untouched cellar. Feeling guilty at being accused of stealing, Brendisha stuffed her bag with wheels of cheese, rolls, and a few potatoes and carrots. Taking another bit of cheese to eat now, Brendisha again went to survey the town.

With food in her belly, Brendisha could think more clearly, but not clearly enough to figure out what happened. Still frightened, she pulled an elemental bottle from her satchel, and uncorked it, letting a few drops of the clear liquid spill onto the ground. This would lead her to any non natural magic in the area.

With a strong push, Brendisha was propelled towards a relatively untouched fence. _Wow. That Elemental Magik is harsh!_ Looking closely, she spotted a tuft of hair caught in the slats. It was grayish black in color, and was very coarse to the touch. Trailing it along her arm, she felt an immediate itch and shuddered at the implications. "It can't be…" she wondered out loud. "It's simply not possible." Another shove sent her towards a muddy patch of ground near a water trough. She bent down to look at the soft mud and immediately fell back in her attempt to scramble away. "Bull wolves…" Brendisha collapsed in the afternoon heat.


	3. Bull Wolves

**A/N: I hope it's ok that I'm uploading several chapters at once… I worked on this a lot last night, and was able to expand 6 pages, double spaced to about 10 pages single spaced! Woo-hoo! Hope things are starting to make more sense now! Sorry for the short chapter, but what can I say? It's a flash back... Enjoy (reviews always welcome!) **

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"_We'll be back, Genna, promise." Aaryn and several of the other men stood in the center square with blades and bows and arrows. "There's only been one sighted. We just need to make sure that it's not a pack." He kissed his wife and daughter's quickly before ushering the other men out the door. Genna stood in fear, holding onto her daughters, hoping they were not as scared as she was. _

_"Oh Ma, let me go! You're hurting me!" Brendisha squirmed away from her mother and rushed to the door. "When I grow up, I'm going to be like Papa and fight the Bull Wolves!" _

_"Oh no you're not!" a young male voice taunted. "Do you even know what a Bull Wolf is?" Kiri, the son of Aaryn's best friend, rushed into the room pushing past Brendisha. "Aunt Genna? Tiroe sent me over here so he could go out and help with the Watchkeeping. I hope that's alright?" Kiri smiled sweetly, causing Brendisha to make fake gagging noises. _

_Her mother ignored her. "Of course that's alright, dear." Genna said smiling. "You know you're welcome anytime." Kiri threw a smirk over his shoulder at Brendisha, who pouted by the door. _

_" So Brenni, DO you know what a Bull Wolf is?" Kiri sauntered over to the door. At 13, he was only two year's Brendisha's senior, but he still treated her like a child. She hated him for that. _

_"Of course I know!" Brendisha responded, glaring. "and don't call me Brenni. That's a baby's name" Kiri shrugged and looked at her to continue. "A Bull Wolf is kind of like a werewolf" she began "except they can change between Human and Wolf form at will. But no matter what shape it's in, it always has bull shaped horns." Brendisha smiled smugly, proud of herself. _

_"Oh yes" Kiri said "such a school book answer. Let me guess, Danner taught you that, didn't he?" Brendisha blushed at the name of her tutor, and current object of her affections. Smiling at the response he elicited from her, Kiri continued "But I bet he didn't tell you about the sharp teeth that the Bull Wolf has. Or the big claws. Or the fur… There's magic in their fur. Did you know that if you even touch the fur of a Bull Wolf you'll die?" Kiri cackled and lowered his voice "But no, the best thing is when they bite you. Then," he grinned cruely and nearly shouted the next line, jumping at Brendisha "YOU become a Bull Wolf!" _

_Brendisha screamed and ran to her mother, sobbing. "Kiri" Genna chided gently "she's still younger than you." Kiri smiled sweetly at her._

_"I know… and I'm sorry, I was just having a little fun…" He smiled smugly. "But if she's going to be such a baby about it, then I guess I still get to call her Brenni." He shot her another smug look. "Guess I'm gonna be the one to go fight those Bull Wolves. Tiroe already said he was going to get me a silver sword!" Genna chuckled softly and shot a warning look at Kiri._ One of these days_ she thought, _Bren is going to get the best of him… and I hope I'm there to see it. _Sighing, Genna shooed the children off to bed, and sat by the fireplace waiting for her husband to come home. _


	4. A Watchkeeper

Brendisha came to with water being splashed on her face. Spluttering, the girl sat up and looked around. Nothing was there. Shaking her head briefly, she looked back towards the Bull Wolf's foot print. _Or is it a paw print…_ She shooed the thought from her mind. Time to focus now. She looked around closely and found several more footprints. After following a set for a while, and being led no where, she stopped and touched the blade at her hip. _Who's the one with the silver sword now, Kiri?_ She had long ago learned that the Bull Wolves actually possessed no magic, though they longed for it. It was one of the reasons they hunted humans –to steal their magic._ And who's the one on an adventure?_ She smirked at the thought of her childhood enemy, and the look on his face when she had been chosen by the elders to collect Eripintoy.

She closed her eyes and called up the wind, the elemental magik surrounding her and telling her that there was… nothing. Not trusting this method of gathering information, Brendisha took the dagger from its spot at her ankle and cut her finger, letting several drops of blood pool on the tip. Closing her eyes for no more than a second, Brendisha pulled and stretched marks for strength, speed, and air into a long coil. She let a thin strip of magic fly directly over the blood. Slowly, a breeze picked up and swirled along her hand, carrying the scent of her blood away into the forest. Brendisha stood for several seconds, straining to hear a foot fall, or see a rustling in the trees. The Bull Wolves would be attracted to her magic.

Except for the rustling made by the wind she had called for, the forest was quiet and still. Brendisha sighed, both in relief and dismay.

"Was that really such a bright idea, Brenni?" Brendisha jumped at the voice, automatically reaching for her weapon in defense. "What were you going to do if they actually were there, hmm?" Her eyes darted around her, but she saw no one. _What the... I'm SURE I heard Kiri's voice… only he would call me Brenni!_ She continued to glance about, and only relaxed her attack position when she was sure no one was there. _How odd…_ Brendisha shook her head, clearing it.

"I'm not going crazy. Just tired, is all" she declared to no one in particular. "I'm fine." Brendisha picked up her bag and sheathed her dagger, and headed down the path to the forest. "One town down, 8 to go…" she sighed.

"And it only took you what, 5 days to reach it?" There was that infuriating voice again!

"Kiri!" Brendisha called "I know you're there! Come out!" Nothing happened. Brendisha stamped her foot "I SAID come OUT!" Glowering around her, she realized how silly she was being… what if Kiri did see her now? Talking to the air, getting mad at it even…

The sun was not so high in the sky, and Brendisha knew that she did not want to stay in Botcha overnight. Besides, she had to tell someone about what happened here. The prints were only hours old! Glaring at her surroundings, Brendisha assumed that the voice was only side affect of the mysterious destruction of the town. Reaching the border, Brendisha stared at the shield. She couldn't help it. She reached out slowly, and brushed the tips of her fingers against the shield. It was tangible. As she stared at it, the magik with in seemed to call to her. Something dark, sinister and alluring, was behind this. Brendisha went to rip a piece off, to contemplate later, when something seemed to smack her hand away. "All right, all right" she said to whatever stopped her. She didn't know why she was talking to thin air. "I'm leaving." She turned one more curious glance to the tattered shield before walking back down the forest path. _A tangible shield… No, a tangible destroyed shield._ She took a deep breath. She knew what it meant: Dark Magik. _But no need to fret, love,_ she heard Linna's voice in her head _your magic will keep you safe._ Remembering that, Brendisha set her mouth in a hard line and continued onward. Next stop, the City of Linden.

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Kiri sighed deeply. He knew he shouldn't have done anything so rash as to have been heard by Brenni. He was only a Watchkeeper, after all, like his brother Tiroe was. He ground his teeth. _Only a Watchkeeper… while little Brenni gets to have all the fun._ He could hear the lecture now.

"_Kirinello, our jobs are very important. We are the guardians of all of those who seek to do good. Without us, their quests would be even more dangerous, and very little good would exist in the world…" _

By this point in the lecture, Kiri's mind had always wandered off to day dreams of fighting Bull Wolves, and conquering Dark Magik. He never believed that his brother's stories about being a 'Watchkeeper'; he always thought it was something Tiroe thought up to make him jealous.

Which is why it was such a surprise when Brendisha was chosen for the retrieval of Eripintoy, and not Kiri.

"_But why HER??" Kiri nearly screamed at the Elders. "I'm older! And for heaven sakes, she's a GIRL!" Linna glowered at him. Kiri quickly apologized. "I only meant that from a factual stand point, she has less stamina that a boy would. Less strength, less energy." _

"_But more heart." Vernan the head Elder stated simply. "Peyra is ill from the onslaught of the dark magik. All the more reason for Brendisha to throw herself heart and soul into this mission" _

_"Oh, don't look so sour, Kirinello. We also didn't pick you because we needed you for something else. Something only you can do" Kiri looked up at Linna, who was smiling at him. "We need you to be Brendisha's Watchkeeper" _

Kiri kicked a tree as he followed silently behind Brenni. All this Watchkeeper stuff was nonsense. The tree shook slightly, sending a few leaves falling around Brendisha who looked up. _Sheesh, gotta be more careful_ he thought to himself… for the millionth time.

He had done a good job so far in making sure Brenni didn't feel like she was being followed, but he had slipped up back in Botcha. He had almost alerted her to his presence. _And that would have been bad… _

_"WHAT???" Kiri shouted, standing up so quickly his chair toppled over. "NO. I refuse to do that. I am not going to be subject to watching little Brenni have her adventure, and not getting to do anything! Get someone else." He turned to storm away._

_"We can't" a small voice interrupted him. "It has to be you." _

_"What are you talking about?" Kiri rolled his eyes and turned back towards Hythia, the mystic elder. "There are other Watchkeepers. Get one of them" _

_Hythia laughed softly "Tiroe was right. You haven't been paying attention to his lectures…" She pulled out a silver medallion, intricately etched, and handed it to Kiri. He took the object and studied it closely. _

_He eyed them, with a look of disgust marring his rugged features. His bright blue eyes flashed between Linna, Hythia, and the medallion. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" _

_"If you had listened to Tiroe," said Vernan "than you would know that the Watchkeeper does not pick the person he or she is to guard. Its all" here, he chuckled and swept his hands out in front of him,"Magik." _

_Kiri rolled his eyes. "So what am I suppose to do with this?" he shook the medallion by the leather strap at them. "Bury it? Swallow it? Shove it up your-" _

_"Kiri!" Linna snapped. The boy immediately blushed at his outburst. It was unlike him to be so upset. "You wear it. It is a charm, that binds you to Bren. You are her Watchkeeper now. It is your job to keep her safe, to make sure she doesn't do anything too… rash." _

_"Stupid, you mean?" Kiri sneered. "I have my work cut out for me then" _

Grudgingly, Kiri went to his older brother, to ask him for the Watchkeeper lecture… again. But this time, he paid attention. A Watchkeeper, he learned, was to stay out of sight, helping their charge through difficult spots, giving them energy to escape when in danger, or providing an invisible helping hand.

Kiri glowered however, when he learned that he was in charge of some of the more menial tasks of a quest. Making sure that Brenni had fresh water, if she was running low. Restocking her salves and herbs, taking care of any animals she may have. The boy grumbled, saying that he would not be Brenni's mother.

But he had almost failed last night. And as much as he hated to admit it, it had scared him. _Maybe that's why I was so keen on helping today… to make up for the Quoin incident_.

But why should it matter? He didn't even like her, anyways!

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**A/N: So what do you think of Kiri? R & R! Please and Thank you! 3 **


	5. A Loud companion

**A/N: Not exactly the best of chapters, but hey, i'm getting there! Comments or questions? You know the drill! 3 **

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Brendisha stared up at the tree, searching for the animal that caused the brief shower of leaves. Seeing nothing, she shrugged and continued on, thankful that the forest path she was following was well used, and easily discernable. She mused over everything she had seen at Botcha

_The prints were new… but there weren't that many of them! How could so few Bull Wolves attack such a large village as Botcha? _Her brow furrowed, _and the shield… something just doesn't seem right about what happened to it. It couldn't have just…_ Brendisha stopped her thinking as she tripped over a log. She swore she heard someone snicker behind her. Standing up slowly and gingerly wiping herself off, Brendisha noticed the sky darkening. She should find a clearing, and soon. After last night, no way she was walking in the forest alone at night.

An almost imperceptible nudge to the left lead Brendisha to a small alcove of trees. Sitting down on a fallen log, Brendisha got out her canteen and gulped down half its contents. She knew she should keep going, but she was just too tired. The past two days had been the most eventful of her trip, the rest of which consisted of walking and sleeping. A solid night's rest would do her good. Deciding to be as comfortable as possible, Brendisha scouted around for an area of ground that didn't look quite as hard as the rest. She found a bed of moss a little ways away, and settled down comfortably. Yawning, Brendisha threw together a rather sloppy protection spell for that night, and pulled out her miniscule blanket. She had decided that Homey Magik wasn't such a bad thing. And besides, it reminded her of… well, home.

Kiri crept closer to the sleeping Brendisha, jealous of the blanket she had. It was cold tonight. He shivered slightly and went to check Brendisha's wound. Though still red, it would soon heal. Careful not to wake the girl, Kiri reapplied the salve to the cut, and replaced the ointment in her bag. He looked more closely at Brendisha. Her hair was cut short, in a pageboy style, and glimmered a deep auburn in the moonlight. Though he couldn't see it, he knew her eyes to be an intense olive color. She breathed softly, her full lips parted slightly in sleep. She shivered, and Kiri automatically reached out to pull the blanket around her. He hoped that she felt warmer…

_Whoa! Where did THAT come from?_ Kiri moved away from the sleeping form, quickly but silently, to rest against a nearby tree. _Was I actually concerned about her?_ He still didn't know why he was the one chosen to be Brenni's Watchkeeper. He toyed with the medallion at his neck. Linna had said that the medallion was what would keep him invisible from Brenni, and that he was not to take it off. _"If you do" she giggled "Bren will see you, and then…" _She didn't bother to finish the thought. Kiri grimaced at the memory. Although he highly doubted the seriousness of the situation, or the validity of the threat, he was not going to be the one to find out. Settling down, Kiri fell into a light slumber.

Both Brendisha and Kiri were awakened the next morning by a shrill laughing sound coming from the forest canopy above. Kiri was immediately on his feet, assessing the danger. Brendisha grumbled at the intrusion of her sleep before becoming coherent enough to think straight. Glancing up, she immediately spotted the creature responsible for the annoying noise. A small monkey swung from branch to branch, uttering its call. Squinting at it, she was amazed at its small size, although she now realized that this was no monkey. Light brown in color, and having four lanky limbs, the creature continued to swing about overhead. It finally was occupied with a fruit that it stopped long enough for Brendisha to get a good look at it. It had no tail, and its ears were large and flat, somewhat like that of the legendary Elefaunts she had heard of as a child. The snout was blunt and rounded, and its eyes were surrounded by white rings of fur, making them appear larger than they actually were.

After a moment of watching the animal, Brendisha reached into her bag and pulled out a small leather bound book. The elders had given it to her before she left, and she had already used it several times. Undoing the leather strap that held the book shut, Brendisha pictured the strange animal and let the book fall open. _Magic books are so helpful_ she thought as the page in front of her was exactly the one she needed. A more detailed image of the 'Yapper' was shown on the left hand page, with a brief description on the right.

**The Yapper is a common inhabitant of the Northeast area of the Hagley Kingdom. Its name comes from its ability to repeat almost any noise that it hears. However, the shape of the voice box causes the mimicked sound to have a shrill yapping or laughing quality. Although a generally docile creature, it will use its sharp, thorny spikes on the backs of its elbows in self defense. These thorns are not poisonous, and are actually collected for their medicinal qualities, particularly in their ability to negate the effects of the blinding poison of the Rapitator. The Yapper also has the unique ability to discern the presence of strong magik. Many people keep the Yapper as both a pet and guardian against dark magik. **

_Great_, Kiri thought, silently reading over Brendisha's shoulder. _Strong magik… I'm sure that means it'll be able to sense me_. He sighed heavily, sending a light puff of air that tickled the back of Brendisha's neck. Glancing around, she shrugged off the sensation and grabbed a reddish brown fruit from the ground beside her. She clicked her tongue several times to get the animal's attention, before beckoning it with the fruit. The Yapper eyed her suspiciously, hanging by one long leg from its tree perch. It scuttled down the tree and moved towards the fruit cautiously. Brendisha tried to make herself as small and un-intimidating as possible, and stretched out the offering. Darting forwards, the Yapper plucked the fruit from her hands and hurried away with its prize. As it ate the fruit, Brendisha couldn't help but laugh loudly, startling the Yapper, who looked up from his snack to peer at her intensely. With an almost shrug like gesture, the Yapper continued to eat. When finished, it turned to Brendisha, and cocked its head expectantly, clearly searching for more food. Brendisha smiled and held up another fruit, while not stretching her arm out so far. The Yapper repeated his actions as before, but didn't run quite so far away. By the fourth piece of fruit, the Yapper was sitting directly in front of Brendisha, and by the ninth, it was sitting on her shoulder, chattering away in her ear the mimicry of her boisterous laugh.

"I like you!" Brendisha exclaimed to the animal. "Would you like to continue my quest with me?" The words slipped out before Brendisha realized she had spoken them. She was talking to a Monkey! Was she that lonely for human interaction? She looked back at the Yapper who was staring at her solemnly. It nodded. Brendisha, startled by the action, lost her balance, and the animal tumbled off her shoulder, screeching. "Sorry, sorry…" she muttered, shaking her head. She was making this up. The animal didn't just _nod_ at her! He couldn't have! "Ah well," she sighed again "I guess if you're going to be my companion, I might as well name you…" She looked around, and realized that she couldn't find the Yapper. _Dang it! I should have cast a binding spe…_ She stopped mid thought, as she watched the Yapper examine what appeared to be an empty space of air. It sniffed gingerly, and reached out to poke at nothing. She shook her head. This animal was stranger than she was! She clicked her tongue, calling the Yapper back to her, watching as it sent one last glance to the empty spot. She rolled her eyes. "Mella Nora. Empty air-seer." The Yapper scrambled up her body to perch on her shoulder. Brendisha turned slightly to look at the Yapper… who promptly nipped her nose! Far from angry, Brendisha laughed, and stroked the pixie's cheek with her finger. As it nuzzled her hand, she swore she heard somebody laughing with her.


End file.
